The Surrounding Area: Impington

In Prehistoric and Roman times Impington was on an important track way and road known as Akeman Street – Mereway – however, early archaeological finds include a few scatters of prehistoric worked flints and some Roman pottery.

There is evidence of one late Iron Age circular fortified site, Arbury Camp, which is surrounded by a bank and ditch. Excavations revealed there would have been a massive timber gateway at the entrance and due to the water-logged nature of the ditch preserved leather fragments were found. This site would have been sessional occupied but most of the finds from the fort were Roman and Roman-British field systems and a nearby settlement suggest it continued in use for some time.

The earliest historical reference to Impington can be found in AD 991, when a manor was given to Ely after Brihtnoth died trying to hold off the Viking army at the battle of Maldon (Essex). This manor included around half of the parish itself and was farmed jointly with Histon manor until the 19th century.

The other main manor of Impington was held by the de Lisle family from the early 13th century and was taken over by Peter de Chauvent from 1269. De Chauvent was granted the right to hold a weekly market and annual fair and built himself a large residence on the land. In 1574 this manor was split into two smaller manors; Manor Place Part and Farm Part (which became the Impington hall estate).

Impington was one of the smaller villages of the region with only 24 people being recorded in the Doomsday Book, and only 57 adults being recorded in 1377, only 14 families were recorded the 16th century. However, due to changes in the land usage there were nearly 600 people by 1901.